Responding to the press conference by the Prime Minister in Downing Street, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Ed Davey said: “I hope that Boris Johnson’s desire to remove restrictions in a few weeks is driven by the national interest and not because his backbenchers are getting restless.
“The Prime Minister has turned away from the scientific advice before and it ended in terrible consequences for our country. This time he must make it clear that the experts agree that ending restrictions on 19th July is the right move.
“Everyone wants the Covid restrictions to end desperately. But lifting restrictions, then seeing cases and hospitalisations skyrocket is not an ending of the crisis.”